Breaded steak with rice and beans

Method

1. If the steaks are thicker than 0.5 cm, pound them between two sheets of cling film. Season with salt and black pepper. Set out three shallow dishes: the flour with a pinch of salt; the eggs beaten with 3 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt; the breadcrumbs (farinha de rosca). Line a tray with kitchen paper.
2. Dredge each steak in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in egg and let it drip, then cover with breadcrumbs, pressing with your hand so they stick all over. For a sturdier crust, repeat the egg and breadcrumbs. Let the breaded steaks rest for 10 minutes while you get the rest going.
3. Make seasoned beans from cooked beans (2 tins, or from the week's batch): in a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry 2 chopped garlic cloves for 1 minute; add the black beans with their tin liquid, 1 bay leaf and 200 ml of water. Mash a ladleful of beans against the bottom to thicken the broth and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then; taste before salting, as tinned beans are already seasoned. If starting from dried beans (250 g), soak them 8 to 12 hours and pressure-cook for 25 to 30 minutes once the cooker starts hissing.
4. Make fluffy white rice: boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat and soften ½ onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes; add 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat until the water drops to the level of the rice (about 7 minutes). Lower the heat, half-cover and cook 8 minutes more until dry; turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
5. In a deep frying pan, heat the sunflower oil (about 1 cm deep) over medium heat to 170–180 °C: a cube of bread should brown in 30 seconds. Fry 2 steaks at a time for 1½ to 2 minutes per side until golden, and drain them on the paper-lined tray.
6. Serve the steaks at once with lime wedges to squeeze over, next to the rice and beans.